


Books and Crackers

by duointherain



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2019-05-31
Packaged: 2020-03-31 00:41:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19038853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/duointherain/pseuds/duointherain
Summary: Hilde's first day as a teacher in a new school and she lost the food for the potluck. Duo saves the day.





	Books and Crackers

Books and Crackers  
by duointherain

disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing

Notes: It’s 2xH for @Gundayum. 

 

The first day of school had long since stopped intimidating Hilde. Somewhere around middle school, it had just become one of those things. This was entirely not one of those things though. She sat in the taxi, heart racing, a bag of books, actual paper books, next to her. Hair neatly trimmed, brand new suit still pressed and smelling a little bit like new clothes and a little bit like the antiseptic that Duo almost always smelled like. 

She chewed on her lip and told herself firmly that she wasn’t going to get a headache. She’d trained for this. She’d done her time student teaching and she’d clearly done well in the interview. One does not get to the first day without having the qualifications and having done well in the interview. 

Maybe it was just being old. She’d put off her schooling so Duo could finish his. His had taken longer than they’d expected. He’d had some mental breakdowns on the way. It had really seemed that maybe she’d never get to her own, never graduate, never get on with her own life. Sometimes that had even been comfortable. She could have just stayed home and he would have been happy with anything she wanted. 

He’d already had a job he liked when she found this one and wanted it. So they left L2 and came back to Earth. She knew he missed his old job, his old neighborhood. She knew that Earth’s gravity was sometimes a challenge for him. 

If it was worth it or not depended on her getting out of the taxi, walking into the school, and doing the job she’d spend years daydreaming about. 

Her feet tapped nervously on the floor and she pulled out her phone, woke it and opened up her favorite video. Duo’s goofy grin lit up her screen and he leaned closer, staring at the camera with vivid purple eyes. “Babe! You’re gonna do great! I love you!” She played it three times. 

Then with a deep breath, she shouldered her book bag, reached for her first-day pot luck bag and found it not there. Mouth open, she stared at the empty spot. She had made a pie and homemade mozzarella, neither of which had made it into the cab with her. Headache starting, she now clearly remembered leaving them on the train. 

It wasn’t going to be a big deal. How big of a deal could it be? 

Determined now, she strode into the school. The sounds of laughter and chatter seemed so very hopeful. The students seemed happy as they moved through the hallways. That was hopeful. Teacher potlucks were not going to be a big deal. 

She knew exactly where her classroom was and walking into her it, all of her decorations that Duo had spent his day off helping her put up, took away all her worry. It was just a silly potluck! 

Four minutes before the first bell rang, another teacher stuck her head in, smiled. “Hi! I’m Kosa! I didn’t see your dish in the fridge. I can take it for you.” 

“That won’t be necessary.” 

Kosa arched an eyebrow. “Okay. You didn’t forget, did you?”

Hilde was putting her precious books on the shelf behind her desk. “Why? It’s just lunch. I can order something in.”

The other woman gasped, stepped into the class and shut the door behind her. “You don’t understand! Saran is going to judge you. She’s got the most tenure and she controls the field trip budget. You better get something here. She’ll ruin you!” 

Hilde smiled, the same smile that let her clean Duo, Heero, and Quatre off the poker table. “Don’t worry. It’ll be a great pot luck.” 

“Well, if you say so. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.” 

“Thanks!” Hilde said. 

Then Kosa was gone and with her Hilde’s composure. She called Duo, knowing he wasn’t going to answer. He had important work to do. Phone on her desk, head in her hands, she thought about all the ways she was going to regret having dragged them here. 

“Hil? Hil? You okay?”

She looked up to find him smiling at her, a couple bangs standing straight up and something that was probably blood smeared across his forehead. His scrubs were clean, but had those just unfolded lines to them. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, fine,” he said. “You’re gonna be great, you know?”

“I lost the potluck!” Her hands pressed on the desk as she leaned forward, eyes wide and lost in horror. “I left it on the train! I’m ruined!” 

“Woooahaa.. How long ya got?”

 

“Three hours! I can’t leave! I can’t just order something! Duo! They’re going to hate me! What if I can’t do this?”

He made a face. “Hilde Schbeiker, there has never been and never will be something you can’t do. You decide you don’t want to, just come home. I’ll get the cafeteria to make something home madey and bring it down.” 

“But you have work to do!” 

“They gotta give me a fuckin lunch, ya know. Besides we talked about your desk and a ruler, didn’t we.” 

“Oh my god, Duo!” She hissed, blush brightening her cheeks. 

“Soon, Babe. See ya soon!” 

Then there was class. Class was good. That was what she wanted. English lit and history were things she could talk about for hours and hours. Walking to the teacher’s breakroom still felt like the walk of shame. She fully believed that Duo meant well and would move mountains for her, if he could, but there were just limits and he was just human. 

She held the doorknob for a moment, then opened it and strode in like this was all the silliness that it was. 

A little woman, gray hair and a lemon of a smile glared at her. “You’re the new one.” 

“Yes,” Hilde said, smiling softly. After all what could this old woman do to her, if the God of Death loved her. 

“Where is your food? We’re a team here.” 

“Thanks for the welcome,” Hilde said, making sure there was an edge to her voice. 

“Her husband is bringing it,” Kosa said, hands held together nervously. 

“Your husband,” Saran said, her own edge much more pronounced and practiced than Hilde’s. “He has time to run your errands, does he?”

Hilde was just standing up a little straighter. She hadn’t survived Duo’s college years living in a house with Chang Wufei and Heero Yuy to be put off by some self-aggrandizing dried up old dragon.

The old woman huffed. “Well, it better be homemade. This is not some fast food school.”

When Hilde spits fire, it takes a moment for it to heat up, but it’s always hot when it flames.

There was a rapid knock on the door and Hilde knew it was Duo before the door opened. “Hey!” he said, not waiting for someone to open the door for him, as he glided in like some grey hoody wearing swan. “I hope I’m not late!”

With him he had an industrial sized food carrier in each hand. His braid was inside his hoodie and his jeans looked ordinary. “Where ya want this?”

“Are you a take out delivery driver,” Saran snarled, Hilde’s new career unraveling in her eyes.

“Nope,” Duo said setting the food table. “I’m gonna need those back too otherwise, Mason will kill me.” 

“Uh,” Saran said, limping over to the containers to peel the commercial kitchen foil back to peer inside. She stared. 

Hilde held her breath.   
Duo grinned like he was shit at playing poker. 

Eventually, the woman looked up, eyes narrowing. “You brought Rice Krispy treats?”

“Well, Mason said that there was a tradition that it had to be homemade. Hil made some fantastic food for you all. She’s an amazing cook! But seeing’s as that got lost, I cooked something for you. Mason also made you all some sandwiches. He’s also a good cook.” 

“Do you work in the hospital kitchen?” 

“Nope,” Duo said, holding out a hand to the old woman. “Dr. Maxwell, but you can call me Duo.” 

“You’re a,” the woman paused, took his hand, eyeing him up and down, “doctor?”

“Yeah,” Duo said cheerfully. “I’m the new trauma surgeon and obstetrician. Small town, so yeah, also, your granddaughter said you really like Rice Krispy treats. She gave birth to a baby boy this morning.” 

“She’s not due till next week!” 

“Yah? Well, sometimes shit happens. She and the baby are fine. I’d know. I signed the birth certificate.” 

“I do like Rice Krispy treats,” Saran said. “We’re glad to have you both here. Your wife is a very talented teacher, Dr. Maxwell.” 

“Well, she civilized me well enough,” Duo said, reaching out an arm to Hilde. Their fingers interlocked. 

“Let’s eat,” Saran said. “We have work to do!” 

Hilde squeezed Duo’s hand and they smiled at each other. They were going to make it worth it. They were worth each other.


End file.
